Transfer mechanism



May 30, 1939. s. F. ODELL TRANSFER MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 3, 1937 Eli/S Grim/M443 May 30, 1939.

S. F. ODELL TRANSFER MECHANISM Filed Dec. 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 541-5 Gum/m Patented May 30, 1939 ui'rsn STATES PATENT OFFICE TRANSFER MECHANISM Stanley F. Odell, Beacon, N. Y., assignor to Dutchess Tool Company, Beacon, N. Y., a corporation of New York This invention relates to improvements in dough handling apparatus and, particularly, to a mechanism for transferring lumps of dough from one traveling conveyor to another such conveyor.

As is well understood, in the handling of dough in commercial bakeries, units or lumps of dough each representing the quantity of dough required for a. loaf of bread are transferred from one form of dough-working apparatus to another, preparatory to baking. For instance, a mass of dough is passed through a divider which forms the individual lumps or units which are conveyed to a proofer and from the latter machine to a moulder or moulding machine. It is essential that the lumps be fed to the moulder singly or individually, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a transfer mechanism by which lumps of dough, traveling on conveyor means from the proofer, can be transferred to a second traveling conveyor and successively deposited on the latter in alinement, without danger or liability of the lumps doubling up, i. e., individual lumps will be deposited on the second conveyor in a regular, uniform, spaced relation lengthwise of the conveyor.

For increasing the efiiciency of the several machines, the lumps are usually discharged from the prooier in a plurality of rows and a further object of the invention is to provide a transfer mechanism which will transfer lumps from a plurality of rows and deposit them on a second conveyor in uniform, spaced relation in a single row, regardless of the irregularity in the spacing of the lumps in the several rows delivered from the proofer to said transfer mechanism.

More specifically, the invention contemplates endless, traveling conveyor means for transporting plural rows of lumps from, say, the proofer; a second conveyor for delivering a single row of lumps to the rounder, and a transfer mechanism interposed between the two conveyor means, said mechanism comprising a rotating roll having recesses therein for receiving the lumps delivered from the proofer, the contour of the walls of said recesses and the relative rates of surface speeds of the conveyor means from the proofer and of the roll being such that only individual lumps will be deposited, even though two or more lumps accumulate, or are delivered more or less simultaneously, at the point of transfer from said conveyor to said roll.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described, and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the present transfer mechanism, the driving connections beingomitted for purposes of clarity;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the transfer roll.

Assuming the transfer mechanism is interposed in the conveyor line between a proofer and a rounding-up machine, lumps of dough from the proofer are discharged onto an endless traveling belt IE], two rows, A and B, of said lumps, being indicated in the present instance. The endless traveling belt leading to the rounding-up machine, and to which said lumps are transferred, is indicated at II, and both belts are adapted to be driven by connections (not shown) from any suitable source of power.

The spacing of the lumps in the respective rows A and B on the belt Ill is, oftentimes, quite irregular and it is essential that they be transmitted to and deposited in the rounding-up machine singly and with the utmost regularity. It is, therefore, necessary that lumps be transferred to belt II individually and deposited thereon in a single row. To accomplish this purpose, transfer roll I2, illustrated in Fig. 4, is interposed between the belts Ill and II.

For apparatus handling two rows of lumps on the proofer belt I0, the transfer roll I2 is provided with four recesses I3, I4, I5 and I6, recesses I3, I4, being spaced 180 apart circumferentially of the roll in alinement with row A of lumps, and recesses I5, I6, similarly spaced apart circumferentially of the roll in alinement with row B of lumps. The two pairs of recesses are also staggered circumferentially of the roll, so that the recesses, considered as a group of four, are only 90 apart and. lumps of dough will be received in the recesses alternately from the two rows A, B, every quarter revolution of the roll.

The transfer roll is driven by connections from a suitable source of power (not shown). As indicated in the drawings, the lumpsin rows A and B may not be equidistantly spaced, or they may double up, so to speak, at roll I2 and, in order to prevent more than one lump entering a recess in the roll, each recess is of the peculiar formation illustrated. That is, each recess has an elongated or deep leading wall I1 and a similar following wall I 8. The outer edge of leading wall I! is beveled as at 20 and the following wall I8 m gaining access to its recess.

extends a considerable distance forwardly from the bottom of the recess. Thus, the recess has sufficient capacity to carry one lump but, by providing the extended or elongated following wall 5 l8 so that the same radially overlies a major portion of wall I! and thus restricts the entrance to the recess, the speed of rotation of the roll causes the forward extremity of said following wall to intercept and prevent a second lump In other words, the beveled forward edge of the leading wall l! permits a lump of dough at the discharge end of belt ID to fall or be partially deposited in: the'.mouth a discharge end of said belt.

Gontinued: rotation of the roll inverts the sev erals recesses successively and causes the lumps carried. therein'to. discharge by gravity toan inclined chute l9, the'upper endiof said chute. being a of arbreadth. substantially corresponding to the length of roll ill: The chute tapers downwardly and has its restricted discharge end l9 positioned immediately above the conveyor belt I I, so that the lumps of dough deposited in the upper end of the chute are delivered successively to the belt I I, and are deposited thereon in a single row at regularly spaced intervals. Hence, the lumps are delivered to the rounding-up machine at a uniform. rate, regardless of how closely they might have been spaced: on the discharge conveyor ID of the proofer machine.

As will be apparent, the mounting for the con- When therlatter is used, may take various forms and a detailed description of the same is deemed unnecessary.

' w What. I'claimis:

veyor belts, the transfer roll and of the chute I9 

